Calabria is situated in southern Italy and is also popularly refereed to as the ‘toe’ of the Italian peninsula. It is situated south of Naples (Napoli) and has a population of 2 million people. It is a coastal region of Italy with the Tyrrhenian Sea and the lonian Sea on its sides and is known for the cleanest and most unspoiled beaches in Italy. It has a wonderful geographical combination of being mountainous while always being surrounded by the sea. The three main mountain ranges are the Pollino, La Sila and the Aspromonte; and they are all unique in their flora and fauna — some of them have dense forests and some are wide-aired plateaus and some are plain, vast and fertile for agriculture. The coastlines give a view of beautiful wild nature.

Calabria – is Italy’s shapely foot and one of the least touristy regions in the country. It is 6 hours by train from Rome and easily accessible by air with airports at Lamezia Terme (central) and Reggio Calabria (south opposite Sicily). Dramatic mountains plunge straight down to the sea, dotted with Bosnian pine and cork oaks and home to wild boar and wolves. Fertile valleys produce golden wheat, olives, aubergines, raisins, peppers and chilli – all core ingredients for Calabria’s intensely flavoured cuisine. Taste it as its best in La Locanda di Alia in Castrovillari (halfway between Reggio and Naples off the A1). With gorgeous Ionian and Tyrrhenian coastlines (Tropea is the main beach resort), Calabria draws sun-seekers in summer, but few know that skiing is possible at Camigliatello, while spring wild orchids bloom in the Aspromonte National Park. Hilltop Altomonte (Calabria’s ‘Spoleto’) has a beautiful 14th century Gothic church, see Ancient Greek sculpture in Reggio Calabria’s Archaeological Museum while Caronte boasts rejuvenating thermal waters.